Through Riku's Eyes
by Secret Account 11
Summary: A retelling of the story of Kingdom Hearts 1 through Riku's perspective. RikuxSora pairing /DISCONTINUED/
1. Chapter 1

"Damn. Why am I always the one stuck doing all the work?" Riku grumbled under his breath, running his hands through his shoulder-length hair. He slowly straightened up from his kneeling position and surveyed the work in progress displayed at his feet. A decently sized raft was nestled within the soft sand of the shore, looking as though it was well on its way to being complete. The structure appeared to be quite stable, despite the limited supplies on the small island. It was made of several thick logs hoisted together with rope, and even the beginnings of a mast were visible.

The 15-year-old islander released a heavy sigh and spun around on the heel of his blue sneakers to begin his search for worthy supplies. He walked up near the shanty buildings of the island (mainly just houses built around and within massive trees) in search of more wood, dipping his head to a few other teens he passed. Strangely enough, Riku never walked by the two particular people he was looking for. There weren't a lot of residents on the island to begin with. How could it be this hard to find them? _Sora, if you're off napping again, I swear-_

Riku shook his head to himself and began rummaging through the palm leaves littering the ground for any sign of something useful. A smile lit up his face upon finding a sturdy log resting beneath the lush palms. He heaved it up onto one shoulder and made his way back toward the shore, suddenly noticing two teens chatting near the rolling waves. They were just the people he was looking for.

As Riku approached them, his ears picked up part of the conversation. One of them, a younger boy with spiky brown hair and bright blue eyes, was announcing his dreams of seeing other worlds beyond the island. A girl with short, reddish-brown hair was standing beside him, the words coming from her mouth plain and clear. "So what're we waiting for?"

"Hey," Riku called out, pulling the log down from his shoulder and holding it against his hip, "aren't you guys forgetting about me?"

Sora and Kairi turned to look at him as he smirked and shook his head. "So, I guess I'm the only one working on the raft." He glanced down at where Sora was sitting and half-heartedly tossed the log down to him. Not expecting this, the 14-year-old stumbled back as it landed on him, and Riku couldn't help but smile at his clumsiness. However, instead of helping Sora up, he approached Kairi.

"And you're just as lazy as he is," he scolded her playfully, hands on his hips.

Kairi let out a small giggle, something Riku never got tired of hearing. The younger girl always had the cutest laugh, and Riku constantly felt like an older brother to her, despite not being at all related. He just felt the need to protect her, which was what any older brother would feel.

"Okay, we'll finish the raft together," she said enthusiastically. "I'll race you!"

"Are you kidding?" Riku sighed and sat next to Sora, who had just managed to push the log off of himself. There was no way he was up for a race. Exhaustion from the heat and from working on the raft was bearing down on him. However, as Kairi persisted with a shout of, "go," Riku felt Sora looking at him. He slowly turned his head to gaze back at his friend, and the looks they saw in each other's eyes said it all. In an instant, both boys leapt to their feet and began darting across the beach, leaving Kairi far behind.

As they ran, Riku glanced to the side at Sora, a grin crossing his face upon seeing the determination in the boy's eyes. The two were constantly competing with one another - whether it was racing, battling, or even just a dispute over the tiniest thing. It was friendly competition, though, and Riku took pride in winning practically everything. There were times when Sora got threateningly close to being the "champion," but Riku would never admit that. Nor would he admit almost letting Sora win a few times. He just loved seeing that bright look on the 14-year-old's face each time things were looking up for him.

For that race, Riku came close to letting Sora win. He wanted to see how the younger teen would react, but Riku was far too proud for that. As they approached the raft, a sudden burst of speed pushed at Riku's legs and he dashed ahead of his best friend, slapping a hand on the "finish line" once he reached it. Sora fell onto his knees in front of the wooden structure, panting heavily.

"Why do you feel the need to do that?" he gasped while taking in deep breaths.

"Do what?"

"Give me the slightest hope of winning and then take it away at the last minute."

Riku released a laugh and looked down at him with folded arms. "Because the look on your face is adorable."

Riku saw his friend's befuddled expression, but called out to Kairi before anything could be questioned. The girl leisurely walked up to the raft and smiled before taking a seat beside Sora.

"Took you long enough," Riku murmured.

"Well, that's a bit mean," she giggled lightly. "I didn't think we were in such a big rush."

"You're the one who wanted to race," Sora mentioned with a sideways glance.

"I guess so. I just didn't know we were hurrying to finish the raft."

"Don't you wanna get off this island?" Riku asked and pushed his silvery hair out of his face.

"Of course I do! But we don't have that much left to do, do we?"

"Whatever we do have left, I vote Sora finishes it."

The spiky-haired teen straightened up suddenly and whipped around to stare at Riku. "What? Why?" he protested with a wrinkled nose.

Riku smirked. "Because you're the one who has been taking naps when work should be done. What do you do all night that makes you so tired anyway?" He placed his hands on his hips and bent down to be face-to-face with Sora. "If you want, we can have another race to see who gets to gather the rest of the supplies, but that'd just be a waste of your energy."

Sora glared defiantly back at Riku, but got to his feet nonetheless. "Fine. What do we need?"

It was Kairi who answered. "Well, we need some sort of cloth for a sail, a few more logs..."

"And maybe more rope," Riku continued, smirking at the peeved look on Sora's face.

The brown-haired teen nodded firmly, flashed one last irritated glance at Riku, then spun around and darted away. For a few moments, Riku and Kairi simply watched as Sora left. Then, Kairi looked over at the taller teen beside her.

"Are you really not going to help him?" the girl asked curiously.

A smile pulled at the silver-haired boy's lips and he gently shook his head. "Nah, I'll help him. It was just entertaining to see his reaction," Riku chuckled. _And he looks absolutely adorable when annoyed._

Kairi giggled and nodded. "You definitely got him there," she grinned. "Anything you want me to do?"

"You can just wait here for us. Then we'll finish the raft together."

Riku dipped his head to the younger girl and raced in the direction Sora had run off to. When he passed a teenager balancing a ball on one finger, he stopped to ask where Sora had gone.

"He went up to the treehouse there," Wakka said and pointed upward with his free hand.

Riku smiled at the boy with the blue headband and darted up the wooden steps to the indicated treehouse. When he turned around the corner to peer into the tiny fort, he saw Sora surveying a large cloth hanging upon the wall. At first, the younger teen was completely unaware of Riku's presence, which actually pleased Riku to have the chance to just watch. Then, he stepped over to Sora and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, I don't think that cloth will perform a trick if you stare at it long enough."

Sora was taken completely by surprise. He nearly jumped out of his clothes at the touch to his shoulder and twirled around to face whoever had been spying on him. Upon realizing it was his best friend, he relaxed.

"You could've made a bit more noise so I knew you were coming!" the teen complained and ran his hands through his hair. "Why are you always teasing me?"

"You're so easy to tease, Sora," Riku beamed and ruffled the shorter teen's hair. "Stop being so stiff!"

Sora attempted to duck out of the deadlock around his head, but ended up just laughing along with Riku until he was released. "Hey! I'm not stiff!" he frowned playfully.

"Oh really? You're the one who got all moody when you lost the race, you big grump," Riku snickered.

Sora jutted out his bottom lip sportively, but finally just shook his head and returned his attention to the cloth. "D'you think this'll work?"

Riku glanced at it with a hand to his chin in thought, then shrugged. "It looks like it should be big enough. Let's take it. I don't see what purpose it's serving just hanging there." The 15-year-old pulled the cloth down from its place and draped it over one arm. Then he began to make his way out of the treehouse.

"Wait," Sora called suddenly, causing Riku to stop and look over his shoulder, "can I talk to you about something?"

A curious look crossed Riku's face, and he stepped back over to Sora's side. He didn't speak, but merely looked at his friend and gestured for him to continue.

"Do you think it's possible to go to other worlds in your sleep?"

"Well, yeah- I dream about other places all the time."

"No, I mean literally."

Riku stared at Sora with a raised brow, but before he could question it, the younger teen pursued the matter even further.

"I had a dream last night that didn't even feel like a dream. It felt so real. I battled this big black creature, then the shadows swallowed me up and I ended up on the beach!"

After a moment of silence, a laugh could be heard through the small house. Riku, who had made the sound, placed a hand on Sora's shoulder and shook his head.

"You've always had such a huge imagination, Sora," he smiled. "Maybe you should stop dreaming up these bizarre things and concentrate on what's more important; like the actual real people in your life."

"I told you! It wasn't a dream!" Sora argued furiously. "You're acting just like Kairi. She blew off the idea, too! I thought you, out of all people, would listen to me!"

Riku's smile faded for a brief moment, but he quickly forced it back onto his face. The teen wrapped his arm around Sora's shoulders and gave him a gentle, affectionate squeeze. "And as your friend, I'm telling you not to worry about it."

Sora moodily averted his gaze from Riku, determined to stay angry with him. However, Riku simply smirked, placed a hand under Sora's chin, then tilted his head up. He gazed into his deep pools of eyes, mesmerized for that moment.

"As long as we stick together, we can get through anything," Riku grinned. "So, promise me this, pinhead: we'll always stay together, whatever it takes."

Sora looked slightly shocked at first, but he finally cracked a smile and nodded. "Okay, I promise."

Riku dipped his head and slowly, almost reluctantly, let Sora slide out of his arms. He then adjusted the cloth that had begun to slide off and placed his other hand on his hip. "That was a promise you just made, so don't break it. I'll hold it against you forever," he teased with a wink. "Now, let's go find the rest of those supplies to keep Kairi from waiting."

The silver-haired teen gently pushed Sora out of the treehouse ahead of him, taking a moment to survey his friend. How could the 14-year-old be so naive? Didn't he get any of Riku's hints as to how he really felt about him? Nevertheless, Sora had made a promise, and he sincerely hoped he'd keep it. Riku couldn't imagine living without him.


	2. Chapter 2

After a long, tiring day of hard work (in which Riku made sure that Sora actually did something rather than sleep the entire time) the three teenagers took that evening to relax. Their favorite spot was always a tiny bit of land separated from the mainland where a few tall palm trees grew. One particular palm happened to grow at the perfect angle to create a makeshift bench, which was where they sat for their nights of relaxation.

That evening, Sora and Kairi occupied the 'bench' while Riku stood off to the side, leaning against it as he stared out over the sunset-painted sea. As much as he had actually wanted to be the one sitting next to Sora, he didn't complain. He never did. Even through all of the times jealousy coiled through his veins whenever he saw Sora and Kairi alone, he remained silent about it. As long as the younger boy was happy, he would be, too. Or, at least, he tried to be.

"So, Kairi's home is out there somewhere, right?" Sora questioned after awhile of relaxed silence.

"Could be," Riku replied, slightly peeved about the subject being on Kairi. "We'll never know by staying here." _Is there anyone else you can think about besides Kairi?_

"But, how far could a raft take us?" the 14-year-old continued, leaning forward to look directly at his best friend.

_Really, Sora? How the hell am I supposed to know? _"Who knows?" he said curtly.

Before Sora could ask anything else, it was Kairi's voice who drifted to Riku's ears. "So, suppose you get to another world… what would you do there?" When he heard this, he turned his head slightly to look at her out of the corner of his eye. What was with all of these 'impossible to answer' questions?

"I… haven't really thought about it," Riku responded honestly, his gaze suddenly dropping to the sand as he considered her question. "It's just… I've always wondered why we're here on this island. Suppose that there _are_ other worlds out there… that ours is just a little piece of something greater; we could have easily ended up somewhere else, right?"

He turned to face both of the younger teenagers, hoping to get some insightful comment from one of them. For awhile now, Riku had been thinking about this. With so many other worlds out there, he could have ended up somewhere completely different, and with completely different people. What if he had never met Sora?

"I don't know," the spiky-haired boy murmured nonchalantly and laid down, now staring up at the sky.

At his uncaring response, Riku's brows furrowed and he moodily spun back around to face the sea. "Exactly," he managed to say in a grudgingly calm voice. Apparently, Kairi became aware of the slight vibe of irritation radiating from him, for Riku noticed her looking at him in bewilderment. To cover this up, he quickly continued on with what they were initially talking about.

"That's why we need to go out there and find out. Just sitting here won't change a thing." He suddenly straightened up and stepped forward, eyes locked determinedly on the horizon. "It's the same old stuff day after day."

"You've been thinking a lot about this, haven't you?" Kairi inquired with a kind look in his direction.

In an instant, Riku suddenly found his chance to get back at Sora. _We'll see just how _you _like it when I pay attention to Kairi all the time._ "Thanks to you," he smiled and looked back at the girl. "If you hadn't come here, I probably would've never thought of any of this. Kairi, thanks." To his satisfaction, Sora looked rather taken aback by the sudden change in Riku's behavior. In all honesty, the boy almost looked _jealous,_ but then again, that could've just been Riku's eyes teasing him and showing him what he really wanted.

"You're welcome," the girl grinned back at him with a tiny, cute laugh.

"So, when do you think we'll be ready to leave?" Sora asked hurriedly, bringing a smirk to Riku's face. He _was_ bothered by being left out of the conversation. _Welcome to my life, Sora. _However, as much as Riku wanted Sora to be upset because he was jealous of Kairi getting Riku all to herself, a small doubt rested in his heart that it was the other way around. The younger boy was definitely really attached to Kairi… a bit more than Riku was. There was something else going on there.

"Well," the silver-haired boy finally responded, "we need to gather supplies for our trip tomorrow. Then, I think we'll be ready to head off by the next day."

"This is so exciting!" Kairi chirped, swinging her legs eagerly. "We finally will get the chance to see other worlds!"

A gentle smile rested on Riku's lips and he dipped his head in thought. _Yes, finally… finally I can cross these waters imprisoning me on this bit of land. _Even more happiness welled within his heart as he thought about going side-by-side with the very boy he had developed a crush on. Unfortunately, Kairi would be with them, as well. As much as he loved the girl like a sister, a little alone time never hurt anyone. This trip would be perfect if it was just the two of them, but who knew how much alone time they'd have with Kairi there. Either way, it was exciting enough just to be leaving the island that had been imprisoning him ever since he was born.

"I wonder if the raft will hold up," Sora commented and stared thoughtfully at the clouds drifting by.

"I'm sure it should be sturdy enough, seeing that I did all of the work," Riku smirked. "If you had been the one who made it, it would fall apart right away."

"Gee, thanks. And here you were _complaining_ to me about not helping when you think my work is shabby anyway."

"Cut it out, you two," Kairi said to break up the playful argument. She rolled her eyes while smiling to herself and slid down off of the large tree trunk. "We should head home so we can rest up for tomorrow. It'll be our last full day on the island!"

Both Sora and Riku nodded in agreement, but it was Sora who stepped down and followed her in an instant. For a few moments, Riku simply stood there and stared after the two younger teens, then his blue-green eyes flickered toward star-shaped, plump fruits hanging from the palms. With another swift look at Sora, he climbed up onto the palm previously being used as a bench, reached over to pluck one of the fruits from the tree, then leapt back down onto the sand. Then, the boy quickened his pace to catch up with his friends. He stepped partway across the bridge leading to the mainland before calling Sora's name.

"You wanted one of these, didn't you?" Riku asked right after he had tossed the bright yellow fruit into the startled teen's hands.

At first, Sora gazed down at the fruit with a look of bewilderment, but he soon glanced up once he saw Riku walking toward him. "A paopu fruit?"

"If two people share one, their destinies become intertwined. They'll remain a part of each other's lives, no matter what," he explained, stepping right past the spiky-haired boy and continuing across the bridge. Riku did, however, glance over his shoulder with a devilish smirk, despite the fact that Sora wasn't facing him. "C'mon, I know you want to try it."

Whether Riku was talking about Sora sharing it with him, or with Kairi, he didn't say. It was up for Sora to interpret, but deep within Riku's heart, he hoped that in some way, Sora had thought of him. They _had_ made that promise, and a paopu fruit would ensure that they'd be together. But, did Sora think of it as critically as Riku did? The older teen wasn't joking at all about that promise. He just sincerely hoped that Sora had taken it seriously, too.

Once the two of them had caught up to Kairi, the three teens used their longboats to row back to the island their houses resided on. It wasn't a very thrilling ride, for Sora seemed too taken aback by the paopu fruit conversation that he was barely saying a word. Riku was quick to notice that the boy no longer had the fruit with him, and then assumed that he had just tossed it aside. _Gee, thanks. That proves to me just how much you care. _It was becoming more and more obvious that Sora didn't share the same feelings. Riku felt a pain clutch at his chest upon contemplating this.

They all said their short and sweet 'good night's to one another before heading back to their own houses. When they parted, Riku cast a longing look over his shoulder at Sora, but ended up just sighing and setting off at a jog as the sky darkened. Why was he even trying anymore? Sora didn't love him back. He wasn't going to keep that promise, and Riku would be left heartbroken. There was no point in hoping for something that would never happen.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, all three teens met at the docks of the mainland and rowed together in three separate longboats. When they reached the smaller island, Riku took the authority of tying the boats to the wooden dock, and then they all strolled back to where they left their raft. It was completely finished, and it looked sturdy enough for them to sail for miles. As much as Riku wanted to leave right then and there (just he and Sora), supplies had to be gathered beforehand. No one knew how far away the next mass of land was. For all they knew, they could be stuck rolling upon the waves forever. Nevertheless, Riku was ready to go, and so were Sora and Kairi.

"So, I was thinking," Riku commented after a few minutes of simply looking over the raft, "we should give this raft a name of some sort. I'm tired of just saying 'the raft.' It's downright boring."

"Okay," Sora answered, glancing up at the older teen. "What did you want to call it, then?"

"How about _Highwind_? And since I'm naming it, that would also make me captain of it."

"Wait, what?" Sora's brows furrowed and he pushed himself to his feet. "Why do we need a captain? It's just a raft!"

Riku's lips pulled into an amused smirk. "Well, someone needs to be in control of the raft, right? Or at least _telling_ others what way to turn the sail. Otherwise, we'll all be arguing over who gets to control it. Might as well settle it now."  
>Sora's deep, sapphire eyes locked with the teal of Riku's, and a playfully competitive glint was in them. "There's no way I'm letting you name our raft <em>Highwind.<em> What kind of name is that?" the14-year-old commented with a smirk. "What about something like… _Excalibur?_"

"_Excalibur? _Please- that's a joke, right?" Riku laughed and crossed his arms. "Well, I certainly don't want to call it that… How about we settle this with-"

"The usual?"

It was amazing how enthusiastic Sora could be when he nearly _always_ lost these races. The kid had so much spirit and optimism that it was almost impossible to think anything would go wrong as long as he was there. Aspects like that were what made Riku care for him so much. Despite losing so many times, Sora always leapt back to his feet. In a way, Riku wished he was capable of doing the same.

"I'll be the judge then!" Kairi chirped, causing Riku to wince inwardly. He had completely forgotten she was there with them (this was the first time she had said a single word during the entire conversation).

"All right. Instead of racing across the beach, how about we go over to the cove and use those wooden platforms? I think that'd test more than just our speed," the silver-haired teen said with a shrug.

When Sora agreed, all three teenagers headed over to the point Riku had indicated. They stood atop a ledge right in front of a wall constructed of wooden planks, staring out over the course they'd be taking. It wasn't an incredibly long sprint, but it involved leaping from platform to platform and even balancing atop a few sturdy trees. Upon one of the rocky cliffs cutting through the island was a short tree with a bright yellow star on top. That was the target.

"The first to make it to the tree and back is the winner," Kairi announced, then began to search for a good spot to survey the competition.

As the girl searched, Sora turned his attention to his opponent. "If I win, I get to be captain. And if you win-"

"I get to share the paopu with Kairi."

A look of complete and utter shock spread over Sora's face in an instant, making Riku have to forcefully resist an amused smirk. Obviously, the silver-haired teen had no interest in sharing the fruit with Kairi. He wasn't attached to her quite enough to want her destiny to be entwined with his (sure, he cared about her, but not in _that_ way). However, Sora was different. The younger teen seemed to feel a lot more than just friendship when it came to Kairi. With each moment Riku teased at liking Kairi more than in a friendly way, Sora often got disgruntled. Perhaps a future with Sora was too far out of reach. As long as Kairi was around, Riku would always be second best to her.

"Deal? The winner gets to share a paopu fruit with Kairi," the teen continued when Sora seemed too baffled to speak.

"You guys ready?" Kairi called out to them, which immediately brought that conversation to an end. "On my count-"

Riku immediately dropped down into a ready stance as the younger girl began to count down. His bright eyes flashed toward Sora for a brief moment, noticing that he wasn't preparing himself at all. The spiky-haired boy looked far too concerned and confused about their previous conversation, and even when Kairi got to "zero," it took him a moment to actually start running forward. Nevertheless, Riku sprinted ahead at full speed, leaping skillfully across the wooden platforms and leaving his friend in the dust.

When the 15-year-old got to a certain flimsy part of the structures, he avoided it, but found himself faltering when he heard a crash behind him. Riku glanced over his shoulder to see that Sora was no longer there, and nor was the rickety platform. He back-tracked and stared down below the pillar he stood on and saw his best friend staggering to his feet after the obvious fall.

"You okay, bud? C'mon now, Sora- even _you_ know that part of the platform can't hold our weight!" He let out a small laugh and continued racing ahead, knowing Sora was perfectly fine.

Once Riku had leapt off of the last wooden pillar, his next target was hurdling over the tops of thick, steady palm trees. Since the teen was already skilled with agility, he didn't find any trouble with this. As long as he landed in the middle of the array of leaves on each tree, he'd be fine, and to make it better, the tree he'd have to tag before running back was only a few lengths away. With one last jump, he landed gracefully on the ledge the tree grew on, about to slap a hand against it when something else came in between.

Much to Riku's surprise, Sora had veered in front of him, somehow managing to catch up by using a completely different course. He tagged the tree, flashed a cocky smile at the older teen, then darted away as quickly as he had come. For a brief moment, Riku was frozen with shock, but he hastily shook his head to snap himself out of his surprise and barreled after Sora.

The two bounced from treetop to treetop, then ran side-by-side across the wooden pillars, each one struggling to push ahead of the other. Both boys didn't look at all ready to give up. Each time one would get a step ahead, the other would speed up without hesitation. It was definitely the closest race they had ever had, and Riku knew why.

It was because of Kairi. By simply saying that the winner would share a paopu fruit with her, Riku had brought the competition up to a whole new level. It was settled. Sora liked Kairi. He _loved_ her. There was no way Riku had a chance. That just made him want to win even more.

As they neared Kairi (who was marking the finish line), Riku released a small groan of effort as he picked up his speed and stepped ahead of Sora. Immediately after passing Kairi, his pace slowed until he came to a stop. He bent over with his hands on his knees, gasping for breath and not even glancing up when Sora halted beside him.

"You did it again!" Sora complained between pants. "_Why_ do you have to _do_ that?"

Riku let out a cough and glanced over at his friend, forcing a smile. "You don't think I'd ever let you win, do you?"

"That was a really close race!" Kairi exclaimed as she approached them. "I could've sworn it was going to be a tie."

"Yeah, well… I had a last burst of energy in me," Riku replied and finally straightened up again. "I guess that makes me captain; we'll be calling the raft _Highwind, _too."

He put his hands on his hips and let his eyes rest on Sora, who was glaring defiantly back at him. For once, Riku was not at all satisfied with Sora's disappointment. The 14-year-old looked far more peeved than he ever had before and Riku was quite sure he had gone too far this time. It was clear that Sora actually believed Riku would be sharing a paopu fruit with Kairi when really, Riku was just kidding.

"Now that that's settled," Kairi continued and clapped her hands together, "we should gather the supplies we need for our trip."

"Great. What do we need?" Riku asked, yet was still looking at Sora with concern.

"Well, obviously we need some food- perhaps some coconuts or something," Kairi replied and stared up at the bright blue sky in thought. "Oh, and we can fill up some containers with the water from that fresh water spring. I actually have a few jugs here." She held up two empty jugs of water and handed one to both boys. "I'll look around for some suitable coconuts if you two go get some water."

"Works for me. Meet at the raft, then," Riku nodded when Sora still refused to say anything.

"You mean '_Highwind,_'" Kairi giggled with a playful wink, then waved to dismiss herself.

Once she had gone, Riku turned back to face Sora, but noticed that the boy was already walking off toward the spring. He was stepping at a brisk pace, and Riku had to practically run to catch up. When he was close enough, he placed a hand on Sora's shoulder to stop him.

"I was kidding about the paopu fruit thing, Sora," Riku assured him. "It's not fair for a race to determine that. You can share a paopu with anyone you want. I don't care." _I just want you to be happy… even if I'm not._

Sora stared back at his best friend, his sapphire eyes wide and a smile pulling at his lips. He rubbed at the back of his neck and shook his head. "Is teasing me your only source of entertainment?"

"What else is there to do on this spit of land?" Riku laughed and playfully elbowed the younger teen. "I don't mean any harm by it; learn to have some fun."

Sora flashed him a pathetic look, but grinned nonetheless and nodded. "I know, I know," the boy sighed. "How about we get this water and head back to _Highwind_? I'm guessing we still have other items to gather before we leave tomorrow."

Riku nodded in agreement, then bent over and filled up his jug once they reached the fresh water. It was incredibly exciting to think that they'd be leaving Destiny Islands the next day. The small, pitiful cluster of islands would be behind him, and a whole different world rested ahead. Not only that, but he'd be exploring the world with Sora, the very person he never got tired of being with.


	4. Chapter 4

"Oh, Riku, I meant to tell you something this morning," Sora commented as the cool, clean water of the spring splashed down into the jug he was holding.

The taller teen was screwing the cap back onto his full container, and he flashed a curious look to his friend. "Yeah? And what is that?"

"You know that cave at the roots of the tree over there?" Sora jerked his head in the direction of what he was talking about. Right off to the side of the spring was a small gap within the thick roots of a gigantic tree. The roots came up around cool gray stone, signifying an entrance to a miniature cavern.

Riku's aqua-colored eyes flickered toward the opening, then rested on Sora once again. "What about it?"

"There was a man in there yesterday," the 14-year-old said, then went into further explanation when an intrigued look crossed Riku's face. "He wasn't there when I first walked in, but then he was standing off by that door and began talking to me."

"Who was he?"

"I don't know. He was wearing a cloak, so I couldn't see what he looked like. But he's definitely not from here. I think he's from another world beyond Destiny Islands... but anyway-" Sora paused as he stepped out of the spring and put the jug of water into one of his pockets, "-he talked about our world getting surrounded by darkness or something... and how it's a stupid idea to go out on our raft since it'll get us nowhere. And then, when I looked away for one second, he vanished. It was as if he was never there in the first place."

Riku was shaking the water off of his pants as Sora finished talking, then he brought his attention back to the boy. "The raft won't work?" he repeated, legitimate concern and frustration crossing his face. "That's- but we worked so hard on it!"

"We should still try it," Sora hastily urged. "For all we know, this guy could be some loon or something. We can't just give up after all that we did."

"And you said he mentioned something about darkness?"

"Yeah... he said Destiny Islands would be 'enveloped in shadow' or something along those lines. Also, if I remember correctly, he might have said something about the door... and what's with that door, anyway? It's impossible to open! There's no knob on it or anything!"

Riku's gaze was focused on the ground, brows furrowed with intense contemplation. "The darkness will open it," he murmured under his breath. When he finally looked back at Sora, a completely different expression was on his face. "Sora, are you sure you just weren't hallucinating? You've been having weird dreams, too," Riku commented with a small smile.

"I don't think I'm crazy enough to be _hallucinating,_" Sora replied pathetically.

"Well, like you said, the guy could just be some idiot. We're still gonna leave on the raft tomorrow- can't put all that work to waste."

Sora nodded eagerly. "Awesome! I'm sure our raft will get us _somewhere,_ either way."

"Just as long as I'm steering. If you were in control, we'd end up crashing somehow," Riku teased with a wink.

"Hey! You can't say that until you've let me try it," Sora argued sportively. "Since when do you have experience steering a raft, anyway?"

Riku smiled and shrugged lamely. "Inborn talent of mine," he laughed. "But, we should probably get back to _Highwind_ before Kairi has a fit. I don't think it should be taking us this long to get some water."

"Alright! I'll race ya!"

"Seriously, Sora? Are you-"

The younger teen had already sprinted off, sand flying up with each galloping step. For a moment, Riku simply stared, but he soon sped after him, chuckling softly to himself. The kid never lost determination- or spirit, for that matter. Too bad Riku did, and he wished Sora had chosen _not_ to tell him about the mysterious man. He was beginning to question if he'd ever get off the island.

That evening, after the three teens had made it back to the mainland, Riku sat by himself at the shor, attention focused back on the other island. His head was spinning with all the information Sora had thrown at him, their conversation repeating over and over again within his mind. In front of Sora, Riku had kept a cool demeanor; he acted as if it wasn't a big deal. But it was. In all reality, the topic hadn't left Riku's mind ever since it was first brought up.

"Darkness... the door... that man..." he murmured, inaudible to outside ears. The 15-year-old rubbed at his temples and continued to stare intently at the island. What if the cloaked man was right? What if there really _wasn't_ a way to leave the island by any boat or raft? What if he was stuck on this spit of land forever? The thoughts weren't encouraging, and even though Sora had put it out of his worries, Riku hadn't.

Perhaps the only way off the island was through that door. It _had_ to open _somehow._ Either way, Riku was going to find out. The idea of staying on Destiny Islands forever was sickening.

With an almost guilty look over his shoulder, the teen pushed himself to his feet and made for the dock only a few yards away. Several small rowboats were tied to the wooden structure, rolling up and down precariously with each wave that hit the shore. Riku hastily untied the rope imprisoning one, then stepped into it. Once he had situated himself, he began rowing back to the other island, ignoring the sky as it darkened to night. His parents would surely wonder where he had gone, but he didn't care. He had to know if what the hooded man said was true.

When Riku reached the island, he leapt off of his boat before he could even take the time to tie it up. If a huge wave happened to come, he would be stranded there until Sora and Kairi returned. However, he wasn't currently concerned with that: his heart and mind were both completely set on that door. He was going to open it, even if it was the last thing he'd do.

It wasn't long before Riku reached the small gap in the roots of the tree, and he had to get onto his hands and knees to enter it. Once he was far enough into the cave, it opened up and gave him the opportunity to stand, again. The pathway eventually led to a wide cavern littered with several stones and stray roots climbing the walls. It was obvious that people had been here before in the past, for several drawings produced by a less dense rock filled up the walls. Riku examined the artwork with a slight smile, but it slowly faded when his gaze landed on a particular doodle.

At a low part of the rocky wall was an illustration of Sora and Kairi, both grinning gleefully at the other. Upon closer inspection, Riku noticed that an arm was coming up from below Sora's head and reaching out toward Kairi. Within the arm's hand was a paopu fruit. In an instant, Riku felt his heart topple down into his stomach. It was official: Sora was in love with Kairi. He had no chance, now. Not a single chance. Pain crossed his face, and he chose to avert his gaze.

The teen concentrated on the large sealed door within the cave, an odd glow glimmering off of it to provide a light source in what would initially be darkness. But it wasn't the door that caught his attention- it was the hooded figure standing beside it.


	5. Chapter 5

"So, you came back," Riku said in a calm tone as soon as he had gotten over the initial shock.

"Ah... your spiky-haired friend mentioned me, did he? How very flattering," the cloaked figure replied, voice deep and menacing.

"He said you mentioned something about the door... and darkness."

"Right to the point, I see. It seems as though you have more interest in it than he does. The boy is simply hopeless. You, on the other hand..."

"What do you want?"

"Nothing. Though, I think I can help you."

"Help me?"

"Isn't one of your greatest desires to get away from this low-life existence? What else were you making a raft for?" The man released a small chuckle at the idea.

_How does he know? _Riku's brows furrowed and his nose wrinkled with distaste. Despite his caution toward the stranger, he pursued the topic even further.

"Sora told me that darkness would be enveloping Destiny Islands-"

"If you choose to open the door to it."

"But why would I?"

Beneath the hood shadowing the stranger's face, there was a malevolent smirk. "It is the only way to escape your imprisonment here. The shadows will take you elsewhere- to other worlds."

"And the rest of the people here- what becomes of them?"

"They will be sent away, as well. Unlikely to the same place, I will add."

"Will we ever come back?"

"Perhaps... but your actions in the future will determine that."

Riku's lips formed a thin line and he looked away, observing the doodle-covered walls around him. The idea of never coming back again had struck him harshly for the first time throughout the entire process of an attempt to leave. In a way, he was a bit upset by it. Despite his yearning desire to explore the worlds beyond his, he always thought he'd at least have Destiny Islands to come back to if things took a wrong turn.

"Everyone here will be sent to different places," Riku reinforced, eyes landing on the hooded figure yet again. "Is it possible to choose to go with someone? I could bring Sora with me... right?"

"I have no patience for you to go and retrieve him. However, I have a feeling he will be coming to you once you have opened the door."

"Who says that I will?" the teen said defiantly.

Another low laugh came from the depths of the man's hood, and he crossed his arms over his chest. "You've told me without realizing it, Riku. I know how great your desire is to leave this place. Why would you pass up the opportunity that's standing right in front of you?"

Riku's eyes widened slightly when he heard his name, then narrowed again as he considered the stranger's offer. "It's possible for Sora to come with me, right?"

"Nothing is impossible."

"And Kairi?"

"What of her?"

"She and the rest of the people on this island will be unharmed?"

"I promise you nothing. They will be sent away to places that may very well be unsafe."

"And what if Sora doesn't get here in time?"

It was evident that the stranger was gradually getting more and more impatient. He shifted his position slightly and let out a huff of irritation at Riku's persistence. "You two will meet again, nonetheless. However, you will be seeing each other differently than you ever have before."

"What do you mean?"

"That is something you will discover for yourself. I cannot reveal everything to you." His calm facade had worn off by that point. In an abrupt motion, the man flung his arms outward, sleeves of his cloak rolling back to reveal gloved hands. "Enough of these meddlesome questions," he growled. "Do you wish to enter the darkness or remain on this island for the rest of your pitiful life?"

"Open the door," Riku ordered firmly and took a slight step back.

No words came from the stranger's mouth, but as he turned to face the faintly glowing door, just enough light hit him to reveal the unpleasant smile curled at his lips. He suddenly jerked his arms forward as if pushing at an invisible force, and the initial dim glow brightened enough to be blinding. Riku instantly closed his eyes against the flash, the raised a hand to shield his face and observe what was going on.

"We will meet again, Riku. I'll be seeing you soon," the stranger sneered once he had turned back around to face the teenager. "Let the darkness overtake you."

With another swift movement of his arm, the door flung open, and all the lights suddenly went out. A smog-like substance shot from the depths of what lay beyond, filling up the cave within a matter of seconds. Riku released a gasp and stumbled backward. He landed hard on the cold ground and began to blindly feel around for the way out, his hand making contact with the coolness of a rock wall. When the teen leaned forward to see what sort of "landmark" he had touched, he suddenly felt a fluttering sensation in his stomach. The palm of his hand was pressed delicately against the drawing of Sora, fingers slightly smearing the points of his spiked hair.

"Sora," Riku murmured under his breath. For a moment, he simply stared at the illustration, caught within his own thoughts. But when he brought himself back to reality, he swiftly leapt to his feet and began jogging out of the cave with determination. He had to get to Sora before the darkness shrouded the entire island. Riku wouldn't be leaving without him.

Once he managed to get out of the darkened area, he became fully aware of the drastic changes taking place about the island. Storm clouds had rolled in out of nowhere, bringing along powerful winds that were tugging mercilessly at even the thickest of palms. Riku hesitated for that moment to observe, the lightning in the sky flashing upon his upturned face. He sincerely hoped Sora would get there on time- and safely.

When Riku attempted to step forward, he felt something tugging at his foot and swiftly spun around to find the culprit. To his surprise, it wasn't a creature of any sort, but what appeared to be the darkness itself. An odd blackness was creeping along the sand, part of it coiling around his foot and snaking up his leg. Riku wrinkled his nose and shook out his limb as though it was nothing but water.

"You won't take me, yet!" he hissed once he had yanked himself free. Without any other faltering, Riku sprinted off in the direction of the small bit of land separate from the island. He raced over the wooden planks of the bridge and skid to a halt once his feet met sand again. There he waited, choosing not to look back at the destruction occurring behind him. He stared off across the ocean intently, aqua eyes narrowed. The longer he stood there, the more uneasy he became.

As if meant to distract him from his concerns, a void of darkness began expanding rapidly in the sky before him. Swirling patterns of glimmering shades of blue appeared within it as it grew, and Riku was certain that it would envelop the entire island within minutes. It was strangely mesmerizing, and even when he heard clumsy footsteps behind him, he didn't turn around to face the boy he had been waiting for.

"Where's Kairi? I thought she was with you!" Riku heard the desperate voice of Sora exclaim anxiously. The silver-haired teen dipped his chin down for a moment, closing his eyes. That was the last thing he wanted to hear from his friend's mouth.

"The door has opened," was his reply, completely disregarding Sora's question.

"What?"

"The door has opened, Sora!" Riku repeated loudly. He finally turned to face the younger boy, an eagerness plastered on his face. "Now we can go to the outside world!" _And even better... now we can go together._

"What are you talking about?" Sora cried, obviously not at all excited about the idea of leaving at a time like this. "We've gotta find Kairi!"

Out of complete frustration over his friend's obsession with the girl, Riku's reply came hastily and with a slight edge to it. "Kairi's coming with us!"

Sora's lips parted with surprise; whether it was over the actual fact that Kairi was coming with, or that Riku had answered him so harshly, he didn't know. The silence that followed was enough to welcome Riku into a further explanation. He glanced back up at the void hovering over the island and jerked his head toward it to get Sora's attention.

"Once we step through, we might not be able to come back. We may never see our parents again," the teen said softly at first, then continued a bit more boldly. "There's no turning back. But this may be our only chance. We can't let the fear stop us. I'm not afraid of the darkness!"

By this point, Sora noticed a whole new side to Riku that he had never witnessed before. Something about it made the younger teen uneasy, and when Riku held his hand out toward him, he recoiled back slightly in an uncertain way. "Riku..." he murmured softly, worry flashing across his face.

Beneath Riku's feet, a void of darkness appeared much like the one in the sky, and the black substance began to coil up his limbs as it had done before. This time, the teen didn't attempt to shake it off. He remained where he was, keeping his hand outstretched to the one person he wanted to leave the island with- the one person he had always felt so attached to.

As if suddenly realizing what was about to happen, Sora abruptly sprinted toward his best friend, reaching out his own hand with the intention of firmly grasping Riku's. However, only feet away from the other boy, the darkness latched onto his own feet and held him back. His fingers brushed lightly over Riku's as he strained to lean forward, his cerulean gaze locking onto his friend's in desperation.

Much unlike Sora, though, Riku looked completely calm. A small, gentle smile was on his face when their eyes met. This was enough for Sora to settle down, and as the darkness overtook them, both boys continued to stare at one another with emotion that both were unfamiliar with.

Riku was just happy to have Sora in front of him. He was happy to be able to look right into the boy's eyes when everything else seemed so dark and horrible. Little did he know, however, that it would be a long time before he'd see those eyes again.


	6. DISCONTINUED

THIS STORY IS NOT BEING CONTINUED.

My sincerest apologies go to those who have read this story and were eager to read more. :c And ideas I had... the more I thought about them, the more I hated them. It was quite frustrating and I feel absolutely terrible for just cutting it off like this.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed this. All your comments always brought a smile to my face, then a frown when I'd realize how disappointed several of you would be upon hearing this news.

I'm sorry for the disappointment, but please know that your reviews meant more than anything to me... and they are what made it so hard to give up on this.

Thank you, everyone.  
>And I'm sorry again.<p> 


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